Marine Fisheries

Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Monday, May 5, 2014 the following restrictions will apply to the recreational harvest of striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean waters of North Carolina:

I. SIZE AND CREEL LIMITS

A. It is unlawful to take or possess more than two (2) striped bass per person per day taken with hook and line or for recreational purposes from the Atlantic Ocean.

B. It is unlawful to possess striped bass less than 28 inches total length taken by hook and line or recreational purposes from the Atlantic Ocean.

II. TAGGING REQUIREMENTS (Atlantic Ocean Ocracoke Inlet to the North Crolina/Virginia state line)

It is unlawful to possess striped bass landed from the Atlantic Ocean waters of North Carolina from Ocracoke Inlet (35° 04.4333N latitude) to the North Carolina/Virginia state line without having a landing tag affixed through the mouth and gill cover before leaving the site of landing. Striped Bass taken from trailered vessels shall have the landing tag affixed before the vessel is removed from the water. Catch cards must be completed to obtain a landing tag, except as noted in IV F. below.

III. TAGGING REQUIREMENT EXPIRATION The requirement for landing tags and catch cards will end at 12:01 A.M., Saturday, November 1, 2014.

B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03H.0103.

C. The intent of this proclamation is to restrict the recreational harvest of striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean in compliance with Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for striped bass and establish a reporting requirement to determine the recreational striped bass harvest from the Atlantic Ocean from Ocracoke Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia state line during the Albemarle Sound Management Area closed season. The estimates of this catch provided by Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) during this time period lack the precision needed for the current management strategies. Provides for a tagging and reporting requirement for the Atlantic Ocean north of Ocracoke Inlet for recreational striped bass harvest (catch cards) through October 31, 2014 but does not change any existing size and creel limits or season requirements.